Please help-housing benefit reduced!

[EvaGraceMummy2015]

Hi ladies, I just feel like my life is a bit of a mess at the minute..
I don't know where to start but will try not to ramble.. I'm a mum in a couple with a 2 year old daughter, my partner works full time for £7.50 an hour usually 40 hours a week..

I don't work due to childcare issues, we got our tax credits reduced because of an overpayment so that was difficult, but then the housing wrote to us to say we were due more housing benefit as our tax credits went down-so we thought great we may just be able to manage! Few months go by, getting on with things...

Then we got a letter today to say because my partner earned particularly good wages in may/June (he was training so wracked up 50+ hours a week) we've been over paid by £600!! So they are reducing our benefit to £20 a month to recover it-even though my partners wage will be lucky to be £1000/£1100 on an average month!!

I've worked out all our essential outgoings and money we have to pay back to family as they helped us with council tax arrears just so I didn't have to go to court, it leaves us in a minus every month! So no money to feed, clothe 3 of us! (Including a 2 year old still in nappies!) Unless we miss bills and end up in even more debt.. I just really don't know what to do 😩

Sometimes I feel like we'd be better off splitting up and living apart to co parent our child-we may actually be able to provide for her better then ☹️

Any help/advice would be appreciated, thank you x

Can you find a part time job for when your partner is home to look after the DC?
I work two evenings a week when DH gets home form work so he looks after DS whilst I work?

They have to give you time to pay the overpayment at your manageable amount not all at once!!
Write to them stating you are in financial difficulty now due to the reduction. Offer what you can afford. When I was over paid they took £10 a week off.

Well first of all write to the HMRC about getting payments reduced, make it clear that you can't manage. Look at charities like step change about any debts you have and they may find a solution.

How much is your HB at mo? What percentage are they taking back? Agree if you make them an offer based on wages going forward - show weekly budget. Thy can't argue with you paying a lower amount.

Like a PP said, request they reduce the recovery rate as it is causing you hardship. Our LA will go down to £5pw recovery rate if you show good cause.

I have definitely thought about getting a job on an evening to earn some extra whilst my partner can look after our daughter, only thing is my partner is on a 3 week rolling rota which includes shifts of 4:30am-12pm/12pm-10pm/7am-4pm plus because he's in a 'supervising position' he has to be fully flexible in changing shifts at last min etc staying longer/helping out when needed so it's difficult to find a job that will work round that 😕 thank you though..
do you think if I gave them a ring/wrote to them they'd help me sort something more realistic?

Hi Eva are you in a housing association property? I If so get in touch with them and tell them what's happened as soon as you can. This sort of thing is really common so they'll know what to do to help you sort it out.

Hi, no I'm in a private rent property with a landlord-times like this I wish I was in a housing association/council as they may be a little more understanding 😕 we have always paid our rent but because of the reduction that means we have to go without other things-but at least we have a roof over our head! X

Do an income/expenditure covering everything (your essentials might be enough) and then phone up/go in to see them and explain. They should reduce it down from 20 pounds per month. The minimum used to be 50p a week so there should be quite a lot of wiggle room.

If you can, I'd recommend face to face.

Is there any chance you can repay family later/at a lesser rate and focus on clearing the Housing benefit debt? (Can pretty much guarantee you will be asked that)

Double check that the period of the overpayment is purely for the two months your DP was working longer hours as well, make sure you take pay slips etc as proof.

His wage may be £1100, but how much are you getting in housing benefit and tax credits? (plus child tax credits)

I'm only asking because we didn't even qualify for housing benefit on that wage. I went to work in the evenings to make up the different to help pay our rent.

I appreciate you may live in a particularly expensive area though.

People can only really help if you give exact income (everything from tax credits) and then show what you're spending.

Do you have mobile phones? Get rid. Get a payg. Ring round gas/electricity etc. A 2 yr old gets 30 hours free childcare if you're not earning enough so can't you do something during those hours? Cleaning? Ironing? Weekend job?

You need to get inventive.